Link Report for Wed. 4/30 - Historic Night of Mashing in Montgomery

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Huntsville Pre-Game Audio Interview with Manager Don Money

Go the month of April when you "Select Date" at the link, then to the archive of the 30th, then to the 5:00 minute mark...

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No to be lost in the Huntsville lovefest is an outstanding pitching effort --

 

Final: Brevard County 1, Jupiter (Marlins) 0

 

Game Summary from the Hammerheads' Site:

Hammerheads Fall to Manatees in Pitching Duel

JUPITER, FL- It was a great pitching duel this evening between the Jupiter Hammerheads and the Brevard County Manatees, with the Manatees coming out on top with 1 to 0 victory. The pitching in this game was brilliant by both teams, baffling the offenses time and time again. Jupiter starter Jeff Allison had his best outing of the season, pitching six scoreless innings and surrendering only one hit while striking out five. Allison received a no-decision and still remains winless on the season, but he is not getting the run support he needs to be victorious. He has compiled a 1.88 ERA over six starts.

 

Brevard County starter John Axford pitched two shutout innings and struck out two batters. Mike McClendon then pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Axford to earn his 2nd victory of the season. The Hammerheads could not figure out McClendon, who only allowed two hits and struck out five. Closer Omar Aguilar came on in relief of Casey Baron in the 8th inning to pitch a four-out save. It was Aguilar's 9th save of the season, which is the most by any Florida State League closer this season.

The Hammerheads played well tonight, but fell into trouble in the 7th inning. Reliever Timothy Wood allowed a leadoff single to designated hitter Chuckie Caufield to start the inning. On a pick-off attempt to first base, Wood threw the ball away, which resulted in a two-base error that sent Caufield to 3rd base. Manatees 2nd baseman Jimmy Mojica then hit a ground ball to Wood, who tossed it to catcher Chris Hatcher to prevent the run from scoring, but Hatcher could not get control of the throw. The run gave the Manatees the lead and it was all they needed to win the ball game.

Jupiter left fielder Dante Brinkley was 2 for 4 on the game and continues to be one of the hotter Hammerheads hitters. 2nd baseman Kevin Randel was 1 for 4, and he leads all Hammerheads with a .318 batting average over the last 10 games. First baseman Logan Morrison was also 1 for 4 on the evening.

The two teams square off tomorrow for game two of the series. It will be a special 10:35 AM (9:35 Central) start time tomorrow at Roger Dean Stadium for Education Day. There is an educational field trip scheduled for all Palm Beach Middle Schools to come out and enjoy a ballgame with the goal of helping students learn more about the game of baseball. Derell McCall will get the start for Jupiter and will be opposed by Josh Butler.

 

Brevard County Box Score

Pitchers had to be stellar for the win, and they were -- Mike McClendon's finest moment this season, by far...

 

Brevard County Game Log

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Link while active, text follows:

 

Sounds start modest streak

Back-to-back wins are season high

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

In continuing their trend of daytime success, the Nashville Sounds broke a cycle as well.

 

Wednesday's 4-3 victory against visiting Colorado Springs, following Tuesday night's 7-3 triumph, gave the team its first two-game winning streak of the season.

 

"We finally played two consistent games," Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas said.

 

The Sounds came back from an early 1-0 deficit and a late 3-2 hole to finish on top for the first time this year when trailing after six innings.

 

"We made a mistake; we were finally able to rebound and come back nicely," Kremblas said. "Obviously we hadn't been doing that. We'd make a mistake and it was like a snowball effect, we'd be down six or seven runs."

 

Dave Bush, making his first Sounds start after being optioned down from Milwaukee over the weekend, gave up a first-inning home run to Seth Smith. But after Vinny Rottino tied the game with his second-inning homer, Bush's one-out double in the third inning put the pitcher in position to score the go-ahead run when Laynce Nix singled.

 

From that point, Bush kept Colorado Springs in check until the sixth, when he issued a couple of walks and Eric Munson's two-out throwing error allowed both Sky Sox players to score.

 

In the seventh, Munson doubled to drive in Rottino and tie the game. Russell Branyan scored the eventual game-winning run on a Mel Stocker sac fly, and relievers Jason Shiell and Luis Pena nailed down the victory.

 

"It's always more fun when you win," said Bush, who struck out seven in his six innings before Ben Howard relieved him in the seventh and picked up his first win to improve Nashville to 7-18.

 

"We just battled today," Rottino said.

 

What they said: "We're not going to try to set goals of getting where we want to be. We've got to take it one game at a time. We know we've got a good team; it's just a matter of putting it together." - Rottino.

 

Photo by GEORGE WALKER IV / THE TENNESSEAN

Vinny Rottino watches his homer during the Sounds' 4-2 win over the Sky Sox on Wednesday.

 

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20080501&Category=SPORTS0401&ArtNo=805010362&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

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Another nice Sounds photo gallery here from the Tennessean -- good shot of Luis Pena

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Link while active, text follows:

 

Sounds' Pena gets first save

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Greer Stadium was the site of a pair of rarities Wednesday.

 

The Nashville Sounds won consecutive games for the first time this season, and closer Luis Pena picked up his first save of the year.

 

Prior to Wednesday's 4-3 victory over Colorado Springs, the Sounds were last in the PCL with one save in four opportunities - and that one, by Richie Gardner, was of the three-inning variety in a 13-3 decision on April 22 at Albuquerque.

 

Pena entered Wednesday's game in the ninth inning and gave up a one-out double to Sean Barker, but picked up a pair of strikeouts before retiring ex-Sound Humberto Cota on an infield groundout to end the contest.

 

"Pena pitched Tuesday, so it was nice to see he was able to come back and throw on back-to-back days and get the save," Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas said.

 

Pena split the 2007 season between Class A Brevard County and Double-A Huntsville, finishing with 18 saves.

 

On the move: The Sounds announced a flurry of roster moves prior Wednesday.

 

Catcher/infielder Eric Munson and outfielder Mel Stocker were both activated from the disabled list and pitcher Dave Bush was officially placed on the active roster after being optioned down Sunday from Milwaukee.

 

Munson and Bush were both in Wednesday's starting lineup, with Munson at third base for the first time this season.

 

To make room for the trio, pitcher Nic Ungs and infielder Steve Sollmann were both placed on the DL, while catcher J.R. Hopf was placed on the temporary inactive list.

 

The Sounds will have to make a move prior to today's game in order to activate scheduled pitcher Jeff Weaver.

 

Give and take: Munson, returning from a hip injury that forced him onto the disabled list on April 10, had a throwing error in the sixth that allowed Colorado Springs to score the tying and go-ahead runs.

 

He atoned for the miscue in the seventh inning, ripping a double past Sky Sox first baseman Joe Koshansky to drive in Vinny Rottino and key a two-run rally.

 

Playin' hooky: The attendance for Wednesday's 10:30 a.m. game was 9,840, a Greer Stadium season high and approximately 200 short of capacity (10,052). The total was boosted by a number of students from area schools who were being rewarded for their participation in the Sounds' reading club program.

 

Vinny hits in many: With a home run and a double Wednesday, Rottino has at least one hit in 11 of his last 12 games. Rottino has collected at least one extra-base hit in nine of those contests.

 

Nix in the mix: Nashville outfielder Laynce Nix's third-inning stolen base was the Sounds' 22nd of the year (fifth in the Pacific Coast League). It was Nix's first, making him the 11th different Nashville player with at least one theft this season.

 

Last year, the Sounds were fifth in the PCL with 121 steals, with 24 different players contributing to that number.

 

Chuck and duck: Colorado Springs starter Josh Towers got a scare to open the bottom of the fourth inning as Brad Nelson led off and drilled his first pitch back up the middle at about shoulder-high level. Towers snared the line drive, but it was strictly a reactive play. After the catch, Sky Sox third baseman Ian Stewart made a visit to the mound to allow Towers to gather himself.

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More audio choices for game action Thursday morning; we'll do our best to have the new Link Report in place with time to spare, don't worry...